Big East looks at 12 teams for football

NEW YORK (AP) — Big East schools have authorized the conference to add enough members to have 12 teams for football.

The schools' presidents and chancellors on Monday gave the go-ahead for the conference to "engage in formal discussions" with other schools to get to a 12-team football league.

TCU was supposed to join the conference, but has received an invitation to join the Big 12 and is expected to accept. TCU would have to pay the Big East a $5 million exit feet.

Syracuse and Pittsburgh are leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Big East would be down to six football schools without TCU: West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, Rutgers and Connecticut.